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- raydeen, on 09/07/2008, -1/+120Four. Thousand. Dollars. Per. Year.
You're doing it wrong. You're doing it so wrong I can't even begin to tell you how wrong you're doing it. - mikelgan, on 09/06/2008, -3/+77Who wouldn't want $4,000 per year?
- rootnik, on 09/06/2008, -3/+69AT&T "forgot" to activate my data plan whenever they activated my iphone. Now I have $99 (max they can charge me) in data usage. They don't have any record of me activating my phone. I guess I talked to a ghost when I activated?
Before anybody claims that I may have "forgot" to order a data plan... I ordered my phone on my companies premier site. You can not even purchase the iPhone without selecting a data plan. They simply will not let you check out until you do.
Not only that... but when they finally did add my data plan they did not apply my premier discount. I should be paying $24.30 a month for data instead of $30. This was the price I was quoted when I ordered the phone online.
They have pretty much called me, their customer, a liar. Not only are they saying that I did not activate my phone (how else would the damn sim card be activated?), but that I am 'mistaken' about the the discounted data price. Hell, I can log into to the premier website right now and go through the process of ordering another iPhone and it shows the same data plan for $24.30.
Since I can't get anywhere by calling them I'm going to the local AT&T Monday with my phone and will show them the premier price myself. They can't fix it, and get rid of the $99 in data charges they can have the phone back and I'll go with another carrier. I have my eyes on a Moto Q anyway. - mikelgan, on 09/06/2008, -4/+50I finally got through to AT&T. They found out that the store management was confused about the policy. So the take-away is that my wife is merely ineligible for the discounted pricing, and must pay $200 more even though her current blackberry is 19 months old and broken.
- proto, on 09/07/2008, -2/+48In 2002, AT&T bought out my old cell-phone carrier (a smaller mom & pop outfit left over from cell phone's early days). AT&T immediately screwed up my service to the point is was unusable, then sent me a ludicrously incorrect (and large) bill.
Now, I had been with my previous carrier for 14 years! There had only ever been a few minor billing problems. I had always been able to resolve them and maintain a professional business relationship. It never occurred to me to not continue that policy
I spent two weeks making half-hearted attempts to get the issues ironed out on my lunch hour (and getting nowhere). Feeling a little guilty for not seeing things to conclusion, I finally took a day off from work just to talk with their 'customer service.' After nine (yes 9!) hours on the phone to them, being passed around, telling and retelling the same story, they finally said they couldn't help me today and I should call back tomorrow.
Well, I'm like a dog with a bone in some ways and I did call them back the next morning. I was polite but straightforward. I told them they had a half hour to find the right person to help me or I'd have to take my business elsewhere. They connected me to some kind of 'closer' dude with an aggressive attitude who was very insulting and accusatory. After a few minutes of his loud yammering, I told him what they needed to do to keep me as a customer: simply, have someone call me back before close of business prepared to deal with the issues. This never happened.
I did follow up with a letter recapping the situation, and requesting a refund for services not rendered. Before the end of the contract grace period I sent them written notice canceling my account and basically washed my hands of the situation. I very quickly went on to a much better carrier (Verizon).
Now here's the important point:
-----------------------------------------------
That was six years ago. Not a week goes by that they don't call me multiple times trying to collect on their bogus bill. They have called my parents (both in their 70s), my place of business, and my neighbors, trying to embarrass me and extract money. Fortunately, I don't really need to worry about AT&T or their shameful tactics.
I put out enormous effort to get the situation corrected, but all they wanted to do was pick my pocket and place the blame on me. Now, every time they call, I just go on the internet and post my story somewhere. Now, if I hear someone talking about AT&T, I strike up a friendly conversation and relate my story. If AT&T comes up in business meetings, I advise people they're better off building their own phone company than dealing with thieves and liars. (This has worked many times, turning people on to Asterisk/Trixbox and the like.) (Hey AT&T, ever try to take piss out of a pool?)
My personal situation allows me a certain freedom -- I don't have to take AT&T's crap. Before you do business with them, ask yourself if could say the same. - basye, on 09/06/2008, -2/+48Sounds like they are either incredibly stupid or just don't want your business.
- TheBigBad, on 09/07/2008, -6/+52$4000 per year for wireless. They should have blacklisted you for being an idiot.
- electrolemon, on 09/07/2008, -2/+404,000 bucks a year? Jesus *****, are they blowing you every time you make a call? Because if so, you're still getting ripped off.
- AstroZombie138, on 09/07/2008, -0/+35I finally broke down and bought an iPhone the other day at the AT&T store. The lady actually turned the 3G option off and said that the 3G network has been overloaded lately and that she suggested I shouldn't use 3G. I wasn't going to waste time arguing, so I just turned it back on after leaving the store, but I thought it was an interesting comment.
- Klisk, on 09/07/2008, -1/+26I don't know, but there's something up with AT&T's billing.
My Mom has the iPhone. She also gets a big monthly % discount because she works for a doctor. It's even reflected on her bill. (Sort of.) She has a cheap plan, specifically says that with data+minutes+everything, it's supposed to be 60 a month.
The problem?
Every month she gets a bill for 212.30. She keeps paying it. I keep telling her to call them, because there has to be something wrong. She says they told her she's under contract and obligated to pay "new subscriber fees" since she got an iPhone.
This isn't activation fees, either. This is 212.30 a month for the past 4 months for... no reason.
My Mom is in love with her iphone, though, so I can't see her getting rid of it no matter how much I try to convince her. She'll just spend the 2547.60 a year, I guess.
That's the problem. They throw ridiculous bills at you, and they make it SO DIFFICULT to fix the problem, that you just... Live with it. I'm sure this is how a huge chunk of their money is made. Most people are too lazy/busy/apathetic to call and complain. Especially when there's a 4 hour minimum on the phone...
My Mom is too... Impatient, really. She doesn't UNDERSTAND what she's even talking about when she's talking about a cellphone. She doesn't know the different between data, minutes, activation, etc. You can explain for 10 minutes, layout the bill for her, describe the process... Way over her head. WAY over her head. So she's like putty in any representative's hands when she calls.
I imagine, like I said before, a huge chunk of their subscribers are like this..... - tomis, on 09/07/2008, -1/+20The reply link, use it. Thank you.
- cheez124, on 09/07/2008, -1/+19typical AT&T ***** "here please pay for 3g, but dont use it!!"
im glad i pulled down 2.9gb on my old edge iphone in one year, im going to download even more with my 3g - lohphat, on 09/07/2008, -12/+25"We pay more than $4,000 per year for AT&T wireless service"???
You are a tool.
I pay $35/month for unlimited blackberry email+data. For an extra $20/month I get unlimited calling via UMA (GSM over 802.11 wifi).
Suck it fanboys. - DeFex, on 09/07/2008, -0/+12sorry. top sucker can not be upgraded. you are already at top level.
- kbro, on 09/07/2008, -1/+11Dude, nobody pays $4000/year for cellphones. Are you nuts? Get on a family plan.
- RossDuprey, on 09/07/2008, -2/+12Those big companies HATE money.
- sinembarg0, on 09/07/2008, -1/+11Because he pays for insurance on it? if you RTFA and comprehend it, you might consider this to be the case, because of the way the following is worded:
"Because my wife's BlackBerry is malfunctioning, she's eligible to upgrade to absolutely any phone immediately"
I don't know for sure if that means he has insurance on it or not, but it is very likely. - magus_melchior, on 09/07/2008, -0/+10> "Four. Thousand. Dollars. Per. Year."
"It costs four hundred thousand dollars to fire this weapon... for twelve seconds." - audguy, on 09/07/2008, -1/+101.2GB in less than a month (Hello pandora!)
- igyigyigy, on 09/07/2008, -0/+8I know, I spend approximately 280 dollars a year for my phone and it does everything I need it to.
I'm sure 4,000 a year gets me a LOT more calls, data, etc, but it still seems insanely expensive! - Jesse, on 09/07/2008, -14/+22Why should AT&T give you a deal because your wife's blackberry is broken? They don't manufacture the phones. That's an issue with the manufacturer. And you're not paying "$200 more", you're paying the same price everyone pays who's not a new customer.
You're acting like they somehow owe you something other than, maybe, an apology because the management was confused, and ***** like this is one of the reasons its so hard to deal with companies. - wtfheadexplody, on 09/07/2008, -0/+8Maybe they intentionally misinformed her because the commission they get from selling iPhones to new 2 year contracts is more than allowing a customer to upgrade at full price. That's just my guess, I don't know exactly how it works. They would rather keep their inventory of iPhones to make new sales, it's not unheard of in the cell phone industry.
- burrgrinder, on 09/07/2008, -0/+7Think about what he bought. An UNLIMITED data plan. They shouldn't sell something they can't handle.
- bigspooon, on 09/07/2008, -0/+7i dunno, man. that seems like a steal of a deal.
assume you make 4 phone calls a day on your phone then youre paying about $2.75 for a phone call and a beej. - geniusj, on 09/07/2008, -0/+7Is the $99 unlimited plan not cheaper?
- 9bpm9, on 09/07/2008, -1/+7I hit F5 in the middle of my post, lets see if I can remember what the hell I wrote.
I had some fun experienced with ATT from the start. I went to my local ATT store, ordered my iPhone, and was told it would arrive in two weeks. I get this loaner phone, I just take it to just go along with them. They told me I wouldn't have my iPhone plan with it, which I found out was just the data plan, as I was still going to be paying 70 bucks for texts and minutes. So I get my iPhone in the middle of the billing period, and for some reason whenever I send texts to people, they don't get them. So I go up to ATT, tell them the problem, while they try to shake me off and tell me it's an Apple problem, I disagree and he looks at my account and embarrassingly tells me that I have no text message plan, when I told the guy who created my account twice that I wanted unlimited texts.
So I get that done, my bill comes for around 70 bucks, I pay, whatever. Next month, I get an upgrade fee for upgrading from my peice of crap loaner to my iPhone, even though I was told that there would be no fee, and I found it idiotic as I didn't upgrade from anything, I was a new ATT customer. I was also charged by the KB for using the internet on my loaner phone, which was about 18 bucks, also not being told about that little part of the deal of the loaner phone. I was also charged a service charge for it seems to be no reason. It was also fun having to pay for a month and a half of text messaging on one bill. I eventually got those charges for internet, the service charge, and the charge for an upgrade removed, but I would rather not have to waste my time on the phone with someone in the Philippines and wish they would get my damn bill right.
My minutes also aren't rolling over, but I'm just too lazy to go in and see what's wrong with that *****. - mikemil828, on 09/07/2008, -3/+9They spend 4 grand a year on cell phones, what's an extra 200 bucks to them? I'd have a little more sympathy for them if they couldn't actually afford it, which they seem to be able to.
- Klisk, on 09/07/2008, -1/+7You can't make phone calls on an ipod touch.
That's the thing.
She's been through 2 blackberries, 2 nextel phones, a sidekick LX, countless PDA-style phones, countless cheap 'regular' phones... She won't keep them because of the button layouts. She'll constantly hang up when she means to answer, or complain that the buttons are too "slippery" for her. She's a real bitch about it, too, and will practically go on livid about how much she hates the phone.
The iphone is the only phone she's been able to operate... SORT OF. She still can't figure out text messaging or voice mail.
She's been on every carrier. Nextel, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and now AT&T.
I'm a fan of t-mobile, personally. Best service where I live, Verizon is second best but has a lot of dead areas. Plus t-mobiles customers support is outstanding.
She had the sidekick LX on t-mobile after I convinced her, and I had to listen to her cry for months about how she hated me for ruining her life with a bad phone.
So, good for her, maybe the bill for an iphone is worth it if she loves it that much. She keeps trying to convince me to switch over to AT&T now, and the ONLY thing tempting me is the fact that I want the Blackberry Bold.... Which is coming out on AT&T before T-Mobile.
Such insanity. I'm happy having my-favs and never using ~any~ of my minutes. That with unlimited text/data, and it's cheap and efficient. - samssf, on 09/07/2008, -0/+5You misunderstand his tone. He's simply saying it's lame and unfortunately he has to pay $200 extra, but is acknowledging that at least it's an option. He's obviously aggravated that he had to hassle with AT&T just to be able to buy an iPhone, because their management misunderstood the policy. I'd be pissed too... It's asinine to have to argue with a company's employees over their own policies.
- Elranzer, on 09/07/2008, -2/+8AT&T is the very worse of the telecoms. There's absolutely nothing Apple could offer me (including free blowjobs for the rest of my life) thta could make me switch from Verizon to AT&T. The day that Apple makes the iPhone compatible with any other US telecom is going to be a great day for humanity... until then I'll never get an iPhone.
Seriously, Apple deciding to go AT&T-exclusive is the worst decision ever made by anyone for anything. Worse than picking Art History as your college major. Worse than Nintendo sticking with cartridges for the N64. Worse than McCain picking Palin for his VP. - mescad, on 09/07/2008, -0/+5When I'm asked to call like that, I just claim that I'm my mom. She has a girly name, and I don't have a girly voice, but nobody ever questions that. It's a million times easier than explaining that I'm calling on behalf of someone else, and yes I have their permission, etc, etc.
- Barackalypse, on 09/07/2008, -1/+6Maybe its time to spend more time at home or in the office and save thousands of dollars on your wireless bill. Why pay good money for inferior call quality, dropped calls, and horrible service?
- Proctor, on 09/07/2008, -1/+6That's a ***** way to get customers to buy your phones/service.
- ibeetle, on 09/07/2008, -0/+5You forgot:
***** the RIAA
Sony=root kit
and anything ending with
Fail
Epic Fail
Pw0n - dgtljunglist, on 09/07/2008, -0/+4Not that Apple doesn't screw things up royally from time to time either, but what exactly did Apple do in this story to erode the author's opinion of it? Actually, what did Apple even do in this story? He never talked to them...
- TremorX, on 09/07/2008, -0/+4See? You just need to go up the chain of command, instead of going on the internet and passive-aggressively whining when some peon doesn't feel like spending an extra 15 minutes to help a customer. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!
- enantiodromia, on 09/07/2008, -1/+5blah blah blah who gives a crap
- jjustin01, on 09/07/2008, -0/+4You don't do the budget Terry! I do!
- crazzy88ss, on 09/07/2008, -1/+5What ever happened to going to an Apple store? ATT employees are stupid.
- scumblz, on 09/07/2008, -3/+7I read the first few lines of this description. I have decided instead of siding with you, no matter how right you are I am just going to type this: "WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"...that's crying in case you didn't get it.
- tracylee, on 09/07/2008, -3/+7Glad I'm in Japan, glad our phones are way better than the iPhone, and glad our service is way cheaper too.
- Sepeteus, on 09/07/2008, -1/+4How about you buy her something like this? http://handcellphone.com/wp-content/themes/green-m ...
- sobamushi, on 09/07/2008, -0/+3You obviously have never had real customer service. For a company to keep MAKING money, they want customers that are willing to stand behind them and give them money monthly. What better way to get such customers then giving your existing (high paying) customers discounts?
Yes, these big companies DO owe us users EVERYTHING they have, because if there are no customers, there is no company. Why do I, a loyal customer, have to pay the same as someone that's just starting an account? You're probably one of those people that will show up an hour early to wait at a busy bus stop, but walks to the back of the line because the bus driver told you to. It's because of people like you that those big corporate companies can take advantage of it's customers, because of people like you that will lap up any kind of ***** they place in front of you. "Pay the same as new customers," ya sure whatever, just because you don't have half the brain cell to figure out how to keep loyal customers happy, doesn't mean the rest of America has to suffer for it too. - PhillyMJS, on 09/07/2008, -0/+3I clicked the link he provides in the story to check my upgrade eligibility out of curiosity. I signed in at AT&T's site, and got this:
"Due to a system upgrade and scheduled maintenance this site is unavailable. Please try again Thursday, September 11th, after 2:00am ET. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Are they ***** serious? Their system is going to be down for FOUR DAYS? What kind of telecommunications company thinks that kind of downtime is acceptable? - efbee, on 09/07/2008, -1/+4Actually the truly interesting part of this story isn't even in the blog post, it's in the comments over there. There is a response by an apparent AT&T representative that perfectly demonstrates the arrogant attitude that company operates with. Dugg this up just so everyone can go read that.
- Sabin, on 09/07/2008, -1/+4Thats funny, I couldn't find anything from KDDI or Docomo that was nearly as appealing as the iPhone. The only thing a Japanese phone can do that the iPhone can't is get live over the air the signals. Yes, Japanese phones are generally way better than North American phones but the iPhone plus the app store will give you all the functionality of most Japanese phones and more. That being said the iPhone is still not going to do very well in Japan simply because it is not a Japanese product.
- Klisk, on 09/07/2008, -0/+3They refuse to talk to me, unfortunately. It has to be her.
- Mcdz, on 09/07/2008, -0/+3Oh, yea. And ***** AT&T.
- souravondigg, on 09/07/2008, -1/+4AT&T sucks!
...and so does APPLE and Steve Jobs! -
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